Margaret Ikumu, a 19-year-old house help, recently found by the police days after reports of her death became viral has narrated her own story.
Ikumu, who hails from Oni community in Oju Local Government Area of Benue, Nigeria’s north-central, told the police she faked her own death on social media to avoid financial pressure from her mother.
DSP Bala Elkana, the Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos State, made this known in a statement, on Sunday.
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Elkana said that Ikumu, through her Facebook account, reported to have died a few days ago and was secretly buried by her two friends, Marvelous Mary and Nneka Buddy, at Ajah area.
“The family of the fake deceased further stated that they were able to establish contact with the said friends who confirmed to them that their daughter is dead.
“To make them believe that the girl is dead, they sent WhatsApp chats to a member of the girl’s family with picture of a casket showing that the girl is buried.
“The family also got in touch with a man on phone who claimed to be her boyfriend. He corroborated the claim that she is dead,” Elkana said in the statement.
However, Elkana said that the girl was eventually found by the Police to be alive and was working as a home help in an estate at Ajah.
“When her employer saw the report of her purported death, they quickly informed the Police and she was brought to Ajah Police Station.
“In her statement, she (Ikumu) confessed to have created the Facebook account and posted her obituary with intent to keep her family away from her.
“She said that her mother was putting financial pressure on her by constantly demanding that she sends money to her,” he said.
The Police PPRO said that the girl was apparently bitter with her mother and uncles over their inability to sponsor her education after the death of her father, adding that Ikumu came to Lagos to work with a view to saving some money and returning to school.
